Monday, August 3, 2009

Classic Jewish Symbols and Gold

Related or not - coming back from Israel gave me the needed push to finish my own version of the famous "lady of peace" character, AKA "the peace dove".Half done, she had waited quietly on our entertainment center(!) for months, looking at me, hoping for a better future. I tried to solve her issues when I wrote my previous post about The Peace Dove Syndrome, but it took more than that. Long international flights, holy land feeling etc.Anyway it is done - I have finished the work on this painting. My pigeon takes her journey in a naked golden desert with a shiny green olive branch in her beak.She will make it! She will find greens in the desert, she can bring greens to the the desert.That's my girl! my own determined dovey.

After looking at my "Peace Lady", with satisfaction, I prepared the "Dove Tahini" for dinner, to celebrate the event (do not worry it is just a tahini brand. No birds were hurt during its processing).As an artist, I find it very challenging to deal with such classic ,almost used up images, symbols or subjects as the Peace Dove.How can you switch such a used image so that it will be fresh and original?Getting closer to the month of the Hebrew Holidays (starting at mid September) these missions are at the door.A year ago I researched the styles of Rosh Hashanah's (the Hebrew new year) cards here, in the US. I was so surprised to find out that so many cards for Rosh Hashanah contained the image of a crying orthodox Jew with title, "Best wishes " etc....Surely, I understood it was connected to Yom Kippur (when you cry and ask for forgiveness for all your sins - which is not a fun time for anybody). Yom Kippur is scheduled ten days after Rosh Hashanah.But still, how can these cards, with the suffering Jew, be a way of greeting your close ones for a "happy new year"?In that matter, I realized, I'm completely Israeli - meaning : deny reality - and wish your close ones happy and sweet year. Just do the right thing and leave your sins and your guilt feelings aside for a moment or two.So when I designed my cards for Rosh Hashanah, I chose soft light and optimistic colors and images. I centered the pomegranate or the apple - the two main symbols of Rosh Hashanah - wishing prosperity and a sweet year to those receiving the card.

Also - I had great time painting these pomegranates in a free hand, using my favorite painting technic, a combination of acrylic and pencil colors with golden touches - just in case: If the lady of peace arrives by Rosh Hashanah - she would feel at home.